PUTRAJAYA: Braille medicine labels will be made available at 250 selected public healthcare facilities across the country to help visually impaired patients.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa (pic) said 55,000 visually impaired people would benefit from the initiative.

The Braille label will contain details of the medicine such as type and purpose as well as the prescribed amount to be taken.

"Malaysia will be one of the first nations in Asia to implement such an initiative," said Dr Zaliha at the programme's launch ceremony at the Health Ministry here on Friday (Jan 6).

She said this is the government’s way of upholding the visually impaired's right to accurate information and safe consumption of medicine.

She said the initiative was part of the "Know your Medicine Programme" which was in support of the Malaysian Patient Safety Goals 2.0.